The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-04-02
JOSEPH SOLD TO EGYPT.
CRITICAL AND PRACTICAL NOTES BY
PROF. SAMUEL |. CURTlSS,


.Jncob had twelve sons. Two Of them, Jo-
serh and Benjamin, were by his wife Rachcl'
who would doubtless have been his only VIE
hal it not been for the greed of Lahnn. Inc
narrative with which we are concerned III
this lesson shows some of the evils of polyga-
NV, The eldest son was Reuben, but tie
elder son Of Rachel, although really the cleV'
e,ih in the order OF his birth, was Joseph,
Taken all in all, he is the most beautiful char
meter of Old Testament history. No wonder
his father loved him. In view of Rcuben'S
lust, and Simeon and Lewis cruelty, aud tho
evil report that came from some of his other
sons he not only gave him the preference be-
ca,l,e he was Rachcls son and the son OF ms
old aye, hut perhaps intended to give him
the ri Int, of the first born. We may sup
pose that the mark of distinction when ne
nut upon him in clothing him with coat OF
many colors, or, rs the margin of the revised
version rclds, IN accordance with the view OF
tlemaipri,y of scholars, in clothing INN win
a long tuuic having sleeves and reaching 10
hi, feet, was AN indication Of his intention as
well a. his special fondncSs for Joseph.
TIKI, aiou.cl tle jealousy of his brothers,
which was s'ill further awakened by ms
wonderful dreams regarding his brothers
sloay,, Lowlus down II bis shcaf aud IN re-
crf OF the sun and moon and eleven stars
slpvir,, him royal honor7. These were not
merely faucicS Of bright and ambitious
mind. bat wore doubtle,, communications
from God himself From this TIME ON, with
tIr cx. p,,on Of one chapter, the book OF
C.na-i, /, occupied with Joseph rs the cen
traI iisurc in Tn" history.
Al the time when this chapter opens, Jacob
wa, dwelling in Hebron, but his sons, with
the cxnup.ioa Of the two youngest, were pas
turing lis ho'i;, in the VI Unity OF Shcchem,
which had been Tie enc of the iriGh'lul
massacre by Simeon aud Levi. DR.. Thomson
tel, IL. from his oh cryalions in the Orient,
that il i, not at all surprising that the sons OF
Jacob should 50 soon have visited apacc which
: .cmcd TO toe 80 much frauSht with danger,
p ,rhaus for TIL, reason Jacob was concerned
about them and particularly anxious to know
about their welfare. In any ease his desire
was natural one to get tidinss from them,
when there was probably no other way OF
hearing from them
AT lis fathers command Joseph undertook
the Journey from Hebron To Shcchem. which
wOuld require more than two days and which
involved no little peril on account OF lions,
bears, panthers and wolves, which infested
the country at that time.
On arriving at Shechem he failed to find
his brethren. As he was wandering about III
search of them he learned that they had gone
TO Dothan Tor the two wells, place nearly
twelve miles north Of Shechem. When they
saw him coming, instead of being glad to see
him, they agreed to kill him. to cast him into
n Dit. and to report to their father that he had
been devourei by a wild beast. Reuben,
however, persuaded them to cast him alive
into IA rit, with the intention of rescuing him
and restoring him to his father These pits
are common in Palestine. They are in the
shane OF demijohn and are designed to hold
rain water. During part Of the year they are
dry, and we're often used rs dungeons and
although sometimes not deep, yet, on account
of thei. peculiar shape, it would be lmpossi-
bic to climb out.
THE LESSON.
Joseph in the Pit tvs. %, 2D.-With engag
mg franknesS and confidence the handsome
vouth came to his brothers only to be roughly
seized by them, and notwithstanding his en-
treaties, which were enough to melt heart
OF stone Gen. xiii, Ply, they stripped him
Of his bea,Siful garment and rudely thrust
him into a pit,
V % Their utter unconcern for the crime
which they Intended to commit was mani
tested hy their sitting down to eat compare
Prov. xxx, 2W. Their hearts were as hard
as the hearts OF those who live on the
hire of the gambler, the drunkard or the fal-
len; but the time was coming when they
l.. tnl ha nf
that hour Gen. xiii, 81; |, 1913. As they
looked up they saw a caravan of lshmaelites,
who were on their way to Egypt.
Joseph Sod Tvs 2G-2S) In the absence of
Reuben. Judah, who was born for leadership,
proposed that they should sell him as slave.
lie said that thus they would avoid shedding
the blood Of one who was their own flesh.
The proposition pleased his brethren. As the
Ishmaelitcs came To hand they were dis
covered to be Midianitish merchantmen.
Joseph, therefore, was drawn up from the PIT
and sold for twenty pieces of silver. or ten
shekcl, },ss than the ordinary price Of slave,
although boys from !, to 20 years of age were
so.l for the same amount "a Joseph u.ev.
Xvii, -.
vs.. -, 80 Meanwhile Reuben returned
and went 10 the pit, only to find that Joseph
was gone. In the report which he gives to
his brethren he mauifostS the same lack of
dignity and control viii h appear later on,
and which Ge marks of the instability OF
which his father complains when he says, in
after wears, Unstable as water, thou shall,
not excel" Gen xix, ~.
Jacobs Bitter Cup Tvs. 3i-%A jacob was
once moro to drink the cup Of deception tt
the very dress, which lie had pressed to hi:
fathers lips years before, and VIII II he had
already found SO bitter. His sons Kill he
coat. th,y dip Joscph's maui IN it, md it tc
,heir father, sayin5 that they have found it
and ask whether lie recognizes it ms his SON:
coat The plan succeeds. IIeleiicves, rs they
wish ohaNe him, that Joseph Is torn in pieces
! But nlthou,h they had succeeded in deceivil {
| their father, the subsequent record shov'
! how there came terrible awakening wher
/ they felt perhaps for the rest of their lives
! the ran!s of a guilty conscience.
Jacob Not Comfortcd Tvs. 81, 35l.-Jacol
was overwhelmed with grief As is custom
airy among Orientals he rent his clothes anc
put sackcloth u on his loirs Although hi
sons and daughters sought to comfort him
he refused TO be comforted Heaven had no
then been clearly revealed, although we reac
in the New Testament that the patriarch!
were seeking a heavenly country Heb. xi
10. We have no evidence that he knew any
thing OF the resurrection, For him there wa:
no comfort i'll the hone of reunion will